Indoor Soccer

But, as a member of the expansion Mississauga MetroStars of the Major Arena Soccer League, Cann knows he’ll be asked to move up in the play, as defenders always do in the turf-and-boards game. He’s going to get to shoot a lot more. And, well, maybe, just maybe, some goals will come.

But the arena game isn’t dead. And Peter Kovacs, the president and general manager of the new Toronto club that will play in the Major Arena Soccer League beginning in 2018, believes that his club’s efforts will create a new wave of interest in the traditional indoor game.

As a media voter (the public can vote on some of the awards, as well), I’m stuck. I think some of the best male performances in Canada jerseys in 2016 came from our futsal players. But there’s no award for futsal — which, to me, is a major faux pas from Canada Soccer. If the Long Term Player Development plan calls for more on-the-ball skills, more futsal, we need to recognize the Canadian futsal specialists who have done great things in international tournaments.

The Canadian keeper has been signed by the Milwaukee Wave of the Major Arena Soccer League. That club is also home to Canadian futsal national teamer Ian Bennett. The Wave is coached by Canadian Giuliano Oliviero.

For a few precious days in the spring, the Canadian national futsal team became the darlings of this nation’s passionate soccer fanbase. And, at the centre of it all was a keeper who once plied his trade in Nicaragua...

CONCACAF doesn’t have the stats posted — in terms of shots on goal — but it would not be unfair to state that the blue floor looked like it was tilted all night long. The Costa Ricans fizzed the ball across the blue tiles, and created chance after chance. But Lemos made sensational save after save, and the CONCACAF commentator was running out of superlatives to bestow on the Canadian keeper.

“We have achieved step one,” said Selaidopoulos. "Step two is getting into the World Cup. Step three would be winning the (CONCACAF) championship. We are taking this step-by-step. The guys are all focused on the short-term right now.”

A Canadian Soccer Novel

About The 11

The 11 offers insight, interviews and commentary by respected soccer journalists. It is affiliated with the Canadian soccer magazine, Plastic Pitch. Our editor, Steven Sandor, has covered Major League Soccer, United Soccer Leagues, World Cup qualifying, CONCACAF Champions League, women’s soccer and the Canadian Soccer League and has won numerous awards for his magazine work. His work has appeared in the Sun chain of newspapers, Soccer 360, World Soccer, Soccer Canada, Philadelphia Daily News and the Deseret News. His work has appeared in publications in Canada, the United States, Hungary, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom and Namibia.